Man charged with stealing body wash

A Statesville man faces larceny charges after police said he stole five bottles of body wash from the CVS store on Center Street.

Vernon White of Statesville was charged with larceny.

Statesville Police Chief Tom Anderson said that a man came into the CVS at 215 N. Center St. and put five bottles of Dove body wash into his jacket. As he left the store, an employee yelled at him and White replied “I put them back” and ran out of the store, Anderson said.

CVS employees gave police a description of the vehicle he got into and a tag number, and a few minutes later, Officer Aaron Herman spotted a truck matching the description on Seventh Street, Anderson said.

Herman stopped the vehicle, and one man jumped out and attempted to run on foot, tossing out bottles of Dove body wash as he did so, Anderson said.

Herman was able to apprehend the man, identified as White, and recover the stolen merchandise, Anderson said.

The truck’s driver, Michael D. Smith of Bluebird Lane, was charged with accessory to larceny.